Steppe, Desert & Nomad Life

The land of eternal blue sky

An independent magazine about Mongolia — the endless steppe, the singing dunes of the Gobi, the reindeer herders of the taiga and the families who still move with their herds four times a year.

1.5M km²
Of open steppe
250+
Days of sun a year
30%
Still nomadic

Featured destinations

All guides →
South · Gobi

Khongoryn Els

The singing dunes at sunrise. Three hours of climbing for ten minutes of sliding down — worth every step.

North · Lakes

Khuvsgul

The blue pearl. Water so clear the stones at four metres look close enough to touch.

Central · Steppe

Terelj

Granite turtles, ger camps and the first horseback ride an hour from the capital.

West · Altai

Bayan-Ulgii

The eagle hunters of the Altai. Golden eagles, fox pelts and winter festivals at -30°.

Crossing the Gobi, well to well

From Dalanzadgad to the flaming cliffs of Bayanzag — the desert road that follows the wells. Two-humped camels at the watering point, dinosaur eggshells in the red sandstone, and silence you can hear.

A slow itinerary by Russian van, sleeping in family gers where the stove never goes out.

Read the Gobi guide →

Lake country & taiga

More stories →
North · 8 min

Khuvsgul by horse

Four days around the lake shore. Fermented mare's milk and the coldest swim of your life.

Taiga · 9 min

The Tsaatan camps

Reindeer herders on the Russian border. Teepees, not gers, and milk that tastes of pine.

Central · 6 min

Naadam in a small town

Skip the stadium. Wrestling, horse races across the steppe and ankle-bone shooting in Murun.

Steppe stories, four times a year

Long reads on the Gobi, the lake country and the nomad way of life. Photographed across all 21 aimags, printed ad-free, delivered worldwide.

Issues / year
4
Pages
~140
Since
2019